That need to see the next horizon line, to taste life, to participate in it, to have a mind like a sponge. Without asking questions, without pursuing answers purposefully and diligently, your engine can and will lose steam, putter out, derail, and turn into rust.

Don’t tempt that fate, and never stop asking. Take a cue from the toddlers: they know perfectly well that you never know the real answer to “Why?” until you’ve asked at least five times.

Deep domain knowledge is incredibly valuable to have, but wisdom on how to use it often makes a far larger difference in creating effective outcomes. The wisest among us have been known to appear to be fools; pay attention.

Every single person has something to teach or share, and every single person has something yet to learn. Never forget either responsibility.

In order to understand something well enough to truly pursue it, one needs first to be able to criticize the works of others. This is part and parcel of the ability to formulate one’s own vision. A side effect is being your own worst critic, especially when starting something new. It’s important to embrace criticism in good faith, because the critic may soon be an expert.

Only young pupils can be taught. Students need guidance on the learning adventure, and scholars need only to be shown things you yourself have discovered. Never assume any inadequacy in whomever you’re speaking with. All are capable of intuition, knowledge, and growth.

Words have meanings, and humans invented and settled on them for a reason, regardless the tongue. They’re the inherited source code of the human condition. Learn what your utterances mean, what the syllables have meant, and embrace connotation.

This is an old credo of the medical profession for learning any new skill. It’s helpful to think and design environments to ensure they are set up so all three steps are available for everybody’s growth.

We are not pressure-cookers. We do not “let off steam,” and while the Classical notion of catharsis can be an attractive concept, it’s simply not accurate. Instead, we are by nature learning creatures, and become more facile and much more likely to continue doing what we rehearse repeatedly. Take care not to practice rage or practice mistakes.